Most people are not big
fans of vultures. They were never
really a number one favorite of mine either—at least not until I started working with and learning about
them at the World Bird Sanctuary.
Vultures come off as
pretty gross birds. They eat dead things,
they projectile vomit as a self-defense mechanism, and New World vultures
urinate on their legs to keep cool.
So, why are vultures such awesome birds?
For starters, vultures are
super-important to our environment.
Without them, we would have an awful lot of dead things (carrion) lying
around. Rotting animals are
breeding grounds for bacteria and disease. Vultures help keep animal carcasses cleaned up, and thus
help stop the spread of most diseases—positives in both a visual way (no one enjoys
seeing dead animals all over the place) and health aspects of human life.
If animal carcasses harbor
so much bacteria and disease, how can vultures eat them without getting
sick? Well, vultures have super
strong stomach acids that can kill the bacteria, making them a dead end for
disease. Their strong stomach acid
also helps them out quite a bit with that projectile vomit they use for defense
against predators. Their stomach
acid is so strong that it can even strip the paint off of a car! It’s a good thing they have it, though,
because it helps us out with diseases and bacteria.
Vader the Black Vulture is a New World Vulture native to the southern United States (photo: Gay Schroer)
Vultures also have some of
the neatest personalities. Each
vulture I have worked with so far has been completely different from the
others. Goober, the Black Vulture,
gets very excited for his food and he even skips and makes barking noises! Desi, the Hooded Vulture, seems
rambunctious and is very gung ho about flying in shows. Mortimer, the Turkey Vulture, is a
dominant bird that seems to know exactly what he wants while Kinsey, another
Turkey Vulture, seems a little bit shy around crowds. Each vulture is very unique, even amongst the same
species. They each have their own
personalities, and I feel privileged to get to work with them.
There are also big
differences between New World and Old World vultures. New World vultures, such as the Andean Condor, Turkey
Vulture, and Black Vulture urinate on their legs to keep cool when it is hot
outside. Old World vultures, like
the Hooded Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, and Bearded Vulture don’t do this
behavior. It may seem gross, but
it also acts as a natural anti-bacterial by killing germs on their legs and
feet.
Several New World vulture
species live in groups with social hierarchies, whereas Old World vultures
typically live solitary lives. Old
World vultures also have a strong grip in their feet, whereas New World
vultures do not. If you look at a
Turkey Vulture’s feet, they look fairly similar to those of a stork or
crane. New World vultures are
actually more closely related to cranes or herons than they are to Old World
vultures. They are superficially
similar due to convergent evolution, which in this case means both kinds of
vultures evolved to feed on dead animals.
They aren’t closely related, but they evolved similar traits because
they had to adapt to similar environments and feeding habits.
Vultures are super
interesting and they have become some of my favorite birds. I am so glad that I have the
opportunity to work with them each day and learn more about their unique traits.
The next time you visit
the World Bird Sanctuary be sure to take a really close look at our resident
vultures. You, too, may find that
they are truly fascinating birds.
Any of the vultures mentioned in this article can be adopted via our Adopt A Bird program.
Any of the vultures mentioned in this article can be adopted via our Adopt A Bird program.